Oil-display device



` Nov. 13, 1928.

H. M. BOE.

oIL DISPLAY DEVICE Filed llaroh 16, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 HG 7 HA fnl/enfer N5 M 50E Patented Nov. 13, 192s.

UNITED STATES- 1,691,333 -,PATENT OFFICE.

HANS M. BOE, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO BOE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A vCOREOIRAJTION OF MINNESOTA.

OIL-DISPLAY DEVICE.

Application `1e 'March 16, `1927. Serial- No. 175,903.

-`This invention relates generally to a method of advertising and displaying liquids,

as well as to the specific' means for producing bubbles within the liquids, and for timing their production.

An important object of the invention 1s toprovide means whereby large bubbles may be successively produced in a liquid. Another important obj ect is to provide means for producing bubbles at timed intervals. Other objects are to provide a display device in which the bubbles are produced, and in which the liquid is illuminated to heighten the elfe-cts of the bubbles as they travel upwardly through the liquid; to provide means for miero-metrically controlling the admission of air so that the bubbles may be formed at any desired interval, and so that the speed of formation may be made the same, or may be varied among the members of a series of containers; and to provide means for delivery of the oil beneath a bubble-forming, and releasing element.

Features of the invention include all the details of construction both of the apparatus per se for producing the bubbles? and its re-k lation within'a transparent liquid container, along with the various constructions and arrangement shown for producing an advertising or display device;

Another feature of the invention includes a device for producing bubbles and releasing the same alternately at opposite sides.

Advantages as well as other features and objects will be set forth in the speeiication, forming partypof this application and in said drawings L Figure l is an elevation partly in section showing a brace of transparent oil containers, having means therein for forming bubbles, and also showing means for illuminating said bubbles and contents of the container or containers, F

Figure 2 is a detailed section on line 2 2 of Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is a detailed section through one of the valves;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan section on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a bubble duringformation;

Figure 6 shows a bubble about to be re leased;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional elevation showin g a modiiied form in which the bubble forming means is mounted above and to the air delivery means; i

Figure 8 shows a modification of the invention, in which the bubble forming element is attached directly to the base;

Figure 9 is another modification showing the bubble forming element having a segmental cylindric contour;

Figure 10 shows a modification of the device adapted to deliver bubbles alternately from its opposite sides; and

Figure 11 is a plan view of the structure of Figure 10.

Numeral 1 designates a hollow pedestal havingI an elongated horizontal table-like head 2. This head'is provided at the top with an upstanding flange 4 and is provided interiorly with a ,shoulder 5 upon which is disposed a plate 6 adapted to receive and support the bottles. This plate is provided with openings 7, and beneath the plate are arranged electric light bulbs 8, means thus being provided for simultaneously illuminating the bottles from beneath. In this 1nystance two bulbs have been provided, and it will be understood that the bulbs may be either colored or uncolored, and may be similarly colored, or the coloring may be dilierent,

or the number of bulbs may be increased or decreased, to provide the desired character and variety of illumination.

The bottles 15 shown herein are of the type used at many oil stations to display and to dispense oil. Each bottle is provided with a filling and dispensing spout 1G, and with a cap 17.

Spaced above the table 2, horizontally and at a level above the caps, is a hood 2O within which is mounted a manifold air supply pipe 21 having a suitable supply pipe 22 connected thereto, this pipe in this instance extending downwardly into the base as most clearly shown in Figure 1. It will be understood that proper air connections are nte/.ie to the pipe 22 for delivering air into the manifold 21. This manifold delivers into the passages 25 ot valves 26, in this instance of the needle type. This for the reason that greater accuracy can be had to govern the inlet of air, and therefore to govern the speed of production' of the bubbles` The number of valves is equal to the number of bottles.

Connected in any suitable manner to the nipple 30' of each valve 26, in this instance ids by rubber tubing 31, is a tube 32 which traverses the cap 17 and extends in this instance to a point adjacent the bottom of the-bottle or receptacle, see Figure 2. The lower end of this tube is threaded as at 33, and engaged with the threads is a shallow concave disk 35 arranged in the liquid with its concave side downwardly. The design of this element to produce a single bubble of a maximum'size has been a matter of much experiment. The experiments seem to indicate that in order to obtain a single large bubble only, the element should be shallow and the air should be delivered at some point lying at a level between the bottom edge 35 and under or top surface 37. It seems, as a result of the experiments, that the shallon7 form is the 'bast one by which a single very large bubble can be unfailingly produced. It will be'understood that with a given air pressure the bubbles will be delivered at varying speeds according to the level oflthe delivery orifice 4() of the pipe 32 from the surface 37. This will also, within certain limits, determine the size of the bubble. For the above reason the disk 35 is made adjustable by means of the threads It has also been found that if the delivery orifice 40 is projected a certain distance below the level of the bottom edge 36 of the clement 35, one large bubble and one small bubble may be produced and released at timed intervals. When the discharge orifice 40 is arranged at some distance below the lower edge of the disk, numerous bubbles are obtained.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 1 wherein a plurality7 of display bottles are shown, individual control of each container can be had so that the timing intervals may be varied to cause all bubbles to be released simultaneously, or sucessively, or in any combination obtainable with a given number of containers. The timing vcan be further controlled as before stated by slight adjustments of the disks 35 in relation tothe discharge orifice 40.

Inasmuch as the formation of the bubbles is an interesting phenomenon, I prefer to place the bubble forming means at such a level ,as would be conveniently observable. However, in 'some instances, it is desirable to add the element of mystery to the display and in this case, the bubble-producing means is hidden.

In Figure 7 a modification has been shown in which the shallow disk is shown as restas by legs 61 directly to a base G2.

ing upon the top of a tube, which tube extends upwardly from beneath into the container. Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the disk 35 to the tube 50, but I prefer to connect it to the elements by soldering. In this case, an opening of suitable size 51 is provided, this being the discharge orifice, and being arranged at the `intake pipe 81.

relation by bolts 57. Suitable paekings 58 7o are provided to seal the tubes against. leaka e. v

Figure 8 shows a modification in which the bubble-forming element G0 is attached in this instr-.nce is provided with an air inlet'channel 63 arranged to deliver to the downwardly faced concave side of the element 60. The air supply p ipe is connectedat rlhe base the point 64. ,This air passage G3 is con- 80 trolled by a needle valve stem 65 having an operating handle 66 lying at the outer side as shown. The needle valve seats against the lower end of the delivery orifice 67 In Figure 9 is shown a modified form of 85 may be attached in any suitable manner to the base.

In Figures 10 and 11 a further modification of the bubble producing element has been shown. In this instance, a base plate 80 is suitably supported at the upper end of an air The bubble-forming element in this instance is made substantially as shown and is pivotally mounted as at 82 upon upstanding arms 83. The element 85 is provided with a central partition or division ele- 1 ment 86. The closing end faces 87 of the element are suitably eut away asat 88 and the heighty of the division element is such that -its lower end 89 can swing to one side or the other as shown respectively in full and dotted lines. The lower edges 90 of the element 85 form stops to limit the rotative movement of the element 85. The arrangement is such that airis first delivered, into one pocket,

which rocks the element to raise that pocket,

and at the end of the upward limit the bubble is released. The opposite pocket is then filled and the device is rocked in the opposite direction to release the bubble from that side.

A bubble is thus released alternately from most desirable. The main idea is to prevent separation of any of the introduced air, into separate numerous small bubbles, which separation would produce foaming and modify the color of the oil to such a degree as to give proper level to obtain a single large bubble. a false impression. The airor gas must be introduced so that when small bubbles are separately formed beneath the bubble-former, they will always rise and become part of the air or gas pocket which is being formed, and-whose formation is causing the displacement of the liquid. It has been found that if air is delivered directly against the bottom surface of the bubble-former there will be substantially no formation of small bubbles, because the air iowing in a substantially continuous stream against the under surface, gradually displaces the oil to the extent shown in Figure 7 and is eventually released as also shown in the figure. If, on the other hand, the air is delivered to any point below the under surfaceof the bubble-former, the air on itsJ short upward passage may be broken up into small bubbles which rise and collect at the under surface, and eventually the same result is obtained. However, it is best to cause the gas to flow directly against the under surface of the bubble-former.

As best shownin the drawing, in Figure 6,

smooth and rounded, and asalso shown in the drawing all parts of this periphery lie strictly in a horizontal plane. It has been found that if these parts are in a plane which is at kan angle to the horizontal, small bubbles are formed, and since it is one of the objects of the invention to obtain the maximum sized bubble, without any accompanying small bubbles, it will be readily understood why the best results are obtained when the level and smooth condition of the periphery exists.

The glass display tube now used is approximately two and one-fourth inches inside diameter, and for such a diameter a bubbleforming element having a diameter of one and three-fourths inches at the base and about five-eighths of an inch deep is used, and seems to have the best proportions for producing the largest possible single bubble when the air is properly controlled or timed. This timing is obtained by providing a needle valve or micrometric control, as above stated. It has been found that the needle valve threesixteenths of an inch in diameter and having the regular U. S. thread of twenty-four to the inch is bai ely sensitive enough to produce the best results. Threads thirty-two to the inch are more satisfactory. It has been found that it is best to release the bubble at intervals This interval varies It of five to ten seconds. with the character or viscoslty of the oil.

' will be understood that it is necessary to use a separate valve control for each tube because each tube contains an oil of a different- O'rade and the rate of intake of air must diifer merged in the liquid and having a down-` ing gas beneath the submerged element, and

means for controlling the gas delivery in a manner to form small bubbles and cause them to rise beneath the submerged element and collect therebeneath to formone lar e bubble and to cause said bubble to displace t e liquid and escape intact, and rise, said releasing element being relatively shallow.

3. A display device comprising a tube of transparent material haviner liquid therein, a bubble-forming and releasing element-esubmerged in the liquid and having a downwardly faced concave side, means for delivering gas beneath the submerged element, and means for controlling the gas delivery in a manner to form small bubbles, cause them to rise beneath the submerged element, and collect to form one large bubble and to cause said bubble to displace the liquid, and escape intact and rise, the delivery of gas being made at a point immediately adjacent the topmost under surface'of said bubble-forming element. v

4. A display device comprisingy a tube of transparent material having liquidrithereim a bubble-forming and releasing element submerged inthe liquid and havin a downwardly faced concave side, means or delivering gas beneath the submerged element, and means for controlling the gas delivery in a manner to form small bubbles and cause them to rise beneath the submerged element and collect to form one large bubble and to cause said bubble to displace the liquid, and escape intact and rise, saidreleasing element being relatively shallow, and the delivery of gas be- 'ing made at a point immediately adjacent the topmost under surface, of said bubble-form-v ing element.

5. A display device comprising a tube of transparent material having liquid therein, a

bubble-forming and releasing element submerged in the liquid and havin a downwardly'faced concave side, means or delivering gas beneath the submerged element, and means for micrometrically controlling gas to cause the same to slowly displace the liquid.

6. A display device comprising a tube of transparent material having liquid therein,

an element submerged in the liquid and having a downwardly faced concave side, the element providing a circular periphery, allparts ing a downwardly concave side, means for de- 10 liverlng gas beneath the element, and means timing the lntroductlon of the gas 1n a manner to displace the liquid and release a bubble of maximum size.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set myV l5 y hand this 14th day of March, 1927.

HANS M. BOE. 

